THE CONSUMER DEMAND FOR ARPLES 



By Lorian P. Jefferson, 

 Assistant Research Professor of Agricwltural Economics 



Introduction 



This study is undertaken in the firm belief that attention has been 

 centered too much on methods and volume of production and too little 

 u])()n the purposes of production. The importance of the consumer as a 

 factor in the marketing of all products has been too much overlooked. 



The purpose of the study is to determine with as great accuracy as 

 possible the exact nature of the demand for apples. The facts here pre- 

 sented should be of use to both grower and dealer. The grower should 

 profit by a knowledge of what the consuming public prefers. He can 

 plan to meet this demand, and should get better return for his product 

 if he offers to the dealer just what the consumer wants. The dealer, 

 likewise, will be benefited because he can offer for sale what his customer.s 

 wish to buy. 



Four classes of material are presented in this report: 



1. The first class of data relates to specific demand in Springfield. It 

 was the intention to use this market as a typical community for the study 

 of consumer demand, and insofar as information is at hand, this has been 

 done. Records of receipts and outgoing shipments are, howevei", not 

 available, nor is information as to prices of apples in Springfield complete 

 for anj^ period of years. Specific figures used are mostly estimates se- 

 cured from growers, wholesalers and retailers. 



In that portion of the study based upon this class of data, the consumer 

 demand for api)les is presented from the point of view of the producers, 

 the wholesalers and the retailers. 



2. The second type of information used in the study is the data de- 

 rived from the records of the Nashoba Apple Packing Association, which 

 the officials of the organization very kindly placed at the author's ser- 

 vice. These records are of the greatest value because they deal with 

 large volumes of the leading varieties, giving prices paid for the dift'erent 

 grades and sizes of these varieties during four seasons. Upon these 

 figures is based the discussion of the demand for apples as indicated by 

 the prices received for them. Thus is added statistical evidence as to 

 tlie character and weight of consumer demand. 



3. The third class of material is derived from some 1400 questionnaires 

 sent to housewives in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.' The 

 material for Connecticut has not been published in any form. The data for 

 Massachusetts have been summarized in Bulletin 231, Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station, and those for Rhode Island were discussed 

 in Bulletin 203, Rhode Island Experiment Station; but in order to point 



^ The schedules for Connecticut and Rhode Island were made available by the cour- 

 tesy of Professor I. G. Davis, of Connecticut Agricultural College, and Dr. R. B. 

 Corbett, of Rhode Island State College. 



